There is incredible power in becoming a woman of prayer, and knowing these 5 reasons to pray will motivate you to go deeper with Jesus.
Moms have so many reasons to pray!
If you’re anything like me, the busier you get… the less likely you are to pray.
Those reasons are dumb. Busyness, stress, marriage conflict, parenting trouble – these are the times when we most need God’s help! But I often turn everywhere else first.
Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of forgetting, if prayer isn’t a regular habit in my life at the moment.
But other times, I turn to friends’ advice or spend hours scrolling for solutions and ideas – because ultimately, I don’t forget to pray as much as I forget the reasons why prayer is so powerful.
Let’s remind ourselves today of some very meaningful reasons to pray. It impacts our own spiritual growth as well as our relationship with our kids and husband.
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Becoming a prayer warrior for your children
One of my big goals for this year is to develop a lifestyle of consistent and robust prayer.
It’s not my only goal, but it’s the one I’m focusing on first.
Why? Because prayer makes such an impact!
For most of us, there are seasons of life where prayer is deep and meaningful. And then… seasons where it’s not.
Yes, mom life is busier than ever. But my kids are so important to me. I know yours are as well! You would do anything for them. And the most meaningful thing you can do for them is become a prayer warrior – for them, for your home, and for yourself.
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More prayer = More spiritual growth
Okay, it’s not exactly a math problem. But there is a very clear connection between prayer and spiritual growth.
Throughout the history of the church, there have been a few basic building blocks for spiritual growth. In my experience, the top 5 are:
- Reading the Bible
- Prayer
- Attending church
- Singing worship to God
- Helping others
As a mom, you want to help your kids know Jesus. But that has to start with deepening your own relationship with Him! This is an incredible reason to pray – and it’s not the only one.
Does the Bible give us good reasons to pray?
God is very clear in the Bible that we should pray, and that we are blessed when we do pray.
Let’s just consider two great Scriptures that help us realize how much God cares about our prayer lives.
- “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2
God is very clear that He wants us to pray! And not only to give an occasional shout out of prayer, but to devote ourselves to it.
- “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
If you ever find yourself wondering what God’s will is for you, these quick verses tell you the answer. Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks. When? How often? Continually!
READ NEXT: 4 Daily Habits You Need As A Christian Mom To Hold Onto A Godly Mindset
What is prayer?
We can get stuck about saying the right thing in prayer or making sure not to forget something important on our prayer list.
But that’s not really prayer.
It’s not about fancy words. It’s not about just listing out things that we want. It’s talking with God, sharing your heart with God, and seeking him in your life.
Prayer is your connection line with God.
Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, we are forgiven. Reconciled. Our relationship with God is restored. And we can talk to Him anytime we want to! He loves it!
Just looking at the Bible, we see that prayer is:
- Asking for God’s protection when you are tempted (Matthew 26:41)
- Seeking God’s strength when you are struggling (Romans 8:26)
- A commitment to sharing gratitude and joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
- Confession and healing (James 5:16)
START A DAILY PRAYER HABIT TODAY with my free Bible & Prayer Challenge.
Let's get motivated: 5 reasons to pray
You can find a rhythm and routine for prayer (and here are some tips to help with that part).
But often, the tricky part is truly understanding the reason to pray. Why make the time? Is the effort worth it?
God’s call in the Bible for us to pray is enough. But when your emotions and hangups are getting in the way, focus on these meaningful reasons to pray.
1. God controls everything, and prayer connects you to him.
Moms worry. We get stressed out. There are seasons of conflict, fear, exhaustion, and hard family relationships. And in those moments, we want to control everything!
We want to control our children’s safety, our finances, our emotions, and everything else. But only God controls everything, and only God is good always and in everything. (Romans 8:28)
And prayer connects you with Him.
Consider Proverbs 19:21. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
If you have things in your life that you want to change that are important to you, talk about it with the One who can actually change things – God.
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2. Prayer makes you more like Jesus.
Many times during his ministry, Jesus would sneak away to be alone and pray. Why? To stay connected to God. To stay firm in his mission and purpose.
As a Christian mom, I know that you want to stand firm in that calling! You want to be more like Jesus – patient, calm, kind, compassionate, humble.
If you want to be like Jesus, do the things Jesus did. Stay close to him and you will experience his good fruit in your life (John 15:5).
3. Prayer will change you and your family.
One of the biggest reasons you want to become a woman of prayer is because it will change you.
How does the fruit of the Holy Spirit grow in your life? In a big way, through prayer! (see Galatians 5:22-23). What about wisdom, do you want more of that? James 1:5 tells us that God will give it generously if you ask.
Our world tells us to follow our heart. But through the prophet Jeremiah, God tells us that “the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9-10).
The cure is Jesus. Come close to him in prayer and let him change your heart.
WANT MORE? Grab the Finding Your Identity in Christ devotional workbook.
4. Prayer is the key to enjoying Christian family life.
Reading the Bible and talking to God in prayer is how you build intimacy with him. It’s how you experience spiritual growth.
Without that intimacy, it’s easy to feel like you’re lost in the sea of family life. There are too many chores, too many arguments with your husband, too much whining from your kids.
Prayer keeps you connected to God’s purpose for you, your marriage, your motherhood, and your relationships. He will bear good fruit (John 15:5) and give you peace (Matthew 11:30) as you draw close to him.
5. Your prayers impact what God does in your life.
I’ll be honest: there can be a lot of big theological discussion about this. (And that’s not what this blog is all about.)
But the Bible is clear that when God’s people pray, God acts.
- In Exodus 32, God wants to destroy the people of Israel, but He changes his mind when Moses prays for them.
- In Numbers 14, God again wants to destroy his people because of their rebellion, but Moses prays and in verse 20 we see the Lord’s response: “I have forgiven them, as you asked.”
- In Daniel 10, God sends an angel to encourage and help Daniel, because Daniel prayed seeking God’s help.
Of course, God the Father does not always do what we want. He’s not our magic genie. Even Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, begging God to change his plan and spare him from crucifixion, and God did not. Jesus still died on the cross.
God always answers prayer. It may not look like you hope or expect, but He is always listening, He always cares, and He always responds.
How to find time in busy mom life to pray regularly
Hopefully, these reasons to pray are meaningful to you. But what about the busyness of mom life? How can you start praying more often?
Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Find a devotional guide to follow, so you can build a habit and get comfortable praying. I have a free one for you here.
- Try praying during things that are already happening – on a car ride, sitting around the dinner table, while you’re washing the dishes.
- Write prayer notecards and put them around the house or make them the backdrop on your phone.
- Pray silently, out loud, when you’re angry, when you’re sad – any time you think of it, say a quick prayer
READ NEXT: Mom Hacks For Getting A Devotional Time On The Regular
Listen to Episode #112
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Listen to Episode #112.5
Friday Faith Follow-up Episode
In this short podcast episode, let’s challenge ourselves to see “I’ll pray for you” as one of the most powerful ways we can help each other.
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Disclaimers: I am a licensed therapist but my podcast, blog, and resources are not professional or personal advice. I am an affiliate for many of the resources that I link to, and may earn a small commission if you purchase through my link. Read my full disclaimer here.
